Grate-bar.



PATENTED JAN. so, 1906. H. B. SPBRRY. GRATB BAR.

APPLIOATION FILED NOV. 7, 1904.

7 www NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

'HENRY B. SPERRY, OF AKRON, OHIO, VASSIGNOR OF ONE-THIRD TO JOHN F. TOWNSEND AND ONE-THIRD TO HENRY ROBINSON, OF AKRON, OHIO.

GRATE-BAR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 30, 1906.

To @ZZ whom, 1115 may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY B. SPERRY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Akf ron, in the county of Summit and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Grate-Bars, of which the following is a complete specification.

My invention relates generally to the manufacture of grate-bars for furnaces, &c.

The object of my invention is to produce a grate-bar for use in sustaining a fire under a boiler, furnace, or similar locality which will embody all the advantages possessed by the ordinary metallic bars in common use and in addition have the merits of extreme cheap ness, durability, strength, and freedom from the action of the heat of the fire, which ordinarily results in the burning and warping of metallic bars to such an extent as to render the period of their usefulness exceedingly limited. In accomplishing the aforesaid object I make use of certain novel and peculiar mechanism, one form of which is hereinafter described, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

In the accompanying drawings, in which similar reference-numerals indicate like parts in the different figures, Figure l is a side elevation of my improved bar. Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal section thereof; and Fig'. 3,- a plan View of a number of bars, showing how they are placed in position in a boiler-furnace.

In the drawings, 1 represents my improved bar, which is made up of a composition in which hydraulic cement forms the binding element. The bar 1 may be constructed in a variety of shapes and sizes to meet the demands or requirements of each particular case without in any way departing from the scope of my invention. Itis obvious, of course, that the length, thickness, and depth may be varied at will to enable the manufacturer thereof to produce bars capable of adaptation to furnaces of different sizes. In constructing this bar various ingredients may be mixed with the binding element to make up the body of the bar; but I have found that the best substance for this purpose is ground silica or quartz pebble containing calcium which has been previously manufactured into fire-brick and burned to a temperature of approximately 3,500O Fahrenheit. In adopting this material as an element in constructing my grate-bar I obtain` the advantage of having the silica or quartz pebbles expanded to their fullest capacity, which always takes place when they are subjected to intense heat, soy

that if they have been previously manufactured into fire-bricks in the ordinary way they have increased or expanded to their fullest capacity and will, therefore, when made into my improved grate-bars be free from the undesirable qualities of expansion under the action of the heat of the furnace, and thus avoid a tendency or disposition to crack the bar. However, Ido not desire to limit myself exclusively to the use of silica or quartz pebble; but any suitable or desired material which will withstand the action of the fire may be used equally well. In order to sustain the barand 1 give it additional strength in the process of manufacture, I embed Within its central portion longitudinal wires 2, united at the ends. In placing these Wires I place one near the top of the bar substantially parallel therewith and the other in a downwardly-curved line, as shown in Fig. 2, and unite these at intervals by tie-wires 3. This construction gives to them a sort of truss formation which greatly strengthens the bar and serves to a large degree to sustain it against breakage upon great pressure on its upper surface. Of course these wires being embedded within the body of the cement are protected from the action of the iire, and their life is thereby prolonged and extended, so that theylast approximately as long as the bar. Experience has shown that if these bars, rods. or wires 2 are substantially clean when placed within the body 4of the cement compound the cement Will adhere to them with great tenacity.

In constructing this bar it is customarily made within an ordinary mold and tamped in the ordinary manner, and while doing so I form on the sides of the bar and integral therewith projecting ribs 4, which when the bars are placed in a furnace abut against each other, thus leaving spaces between the remaining portions of the bars for the escape of ashes or cinders into the ash-pit.

Experience extending over a considerable period of time with this bar shows that it is not only strong and equally as serviceable as a metal bar, but that it also possesses the merit of not warping or burning out. In fact, even the extreme heat necessarily maintained uu- IOO IOS

der a boiler will not cause the upper surface of the bar to be burned or cracked to any appreciable degree.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. As a new artice of manufacture, a grateba-r formed from a composition of cement and silica or quartz pebbles previously expanded by heat, a series of vertically-formed ribs on the sides of said bar of such configuration that when two` bars are placed side by side the ribs on adjacent bars will approximately Contact, a pair of strengthening-bars inclosed in the body of said grate-bar, one of which is approximately horizontal and the other formed in a downward curve, the ends of said bars being united together and a plurality of cross-wires connecting the two bars together whereby the two bars with the cross wires will form a unitary strengthening device for the grate-bar.

2. As a new article of manufacture, a gratebar formed from a composition of cement and silica or quartz pebbles, a series of 'verticallyformed ribs on the sides of said bar of such conliguration that when two bars are placed side by side the ribs of adjacent bars will approximately contact, a pair of strengtheningbars inclosed in the body of said grate-bar, one oi' which is approximately horizontal and the other formed in a downward curve, the ends of said bars being united together and a plurality of cross-wires connecting the two bars together whereby the two bars with the cross-wires will form a unitary strengthening device for the grate-bar.

In testimony that I claim the above I hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HENRY B. SPERRY.

In presence of- G. E. HUMPHREY, GLENARA Fox. 

